Swimming pool and coping structure therefor



Oct. 17, 1967 G. c. FOX 3,347,()06

SWIMMING POOL AND COPING STRUCTURE THEREFOR Filed July 20, 1965 INVENTOR. GEORGE C. FOX

Unitcd States Patent Ofitice fifidlhfih Patented Oct. 17, 1967 3,347,996 SWIMMING POOL AND COPING STRUCTURE THEREFOR George C. Fox, RD. 3, Dover, Pa. 17315 Filed July 20, 1965, Ser. No. 473,320 6 Claims. (Cl. 52-300) ABSTRACT OF THE DESCLOSURE Coping means for an outdoor swimming pool having side walls terminating at the top in a rectangular wooden header plank, the coping comprising an extruded rigid metallic coping member of uniform thickness having a rounded edge mounted nearest the pool side and sloping downward and rearward therefrom, the lower surface of said member having a pair of transversely spaced inte gral supporting ribs extending toward said header plank in use, a pair of elongated securing means arranged to be aflixed to said header plank in parallelism to each other and the edges of said plank and spaced apart similarly to said supporting ribs, and complementary snapacting fastening means on said ribs and securing means comprising interfitting headed and undercut recess means permitting detachable locking interengagement to attach said coping member to said header plank.

This invention pertains to a swimming pool and, more particularly, to the coping structure used to cap the upper edges of the sides of a swimming pool. In recent years, individual swimming pools mounted both within the ground as well as above ground in yards of individual homes have become increasingly popular, due particularly to the origination of less expensive swimming pool structures than those which have been employed notoriously for many years, especially in the installation of so-called public pools, such as those found in playgrounds, country clubs, hotels and the like.

A limited number of swimming pools of the so-called public type have been known for many years and the construction of these has been quite costly due to the fact that they frequently were built with sides and bottoms formed from poured concrete, the exterior surfaces thereof frequently being covered with ceramic tile or appropriately painted. Relatively expensive preparation normally is required before installing such side and botstructures in order to minimize the possibility of the bottoms and sides cracking through expansion and contraction of the earth between seasons of the year. Because of such costly structure, this type of swimming pool has not achieved wide popularity.

Within recent years, much less expensive swimming pool structures have been devised, particularly since the advent of relatively inexpensive plastic sheeting of various kinds which is suitable to provide highly effective and durable lining means for the bottom and sides of a swimming pool to insure against leakage even if expansion and contraction of the ground adjacent the pool otherwise would cause cracking of the walls and bottom of the pool. One of the popular types of relatively low cost, in-the-ground type of swimming pool comprises the use of wooden panels of plywood connected to vertical wooden studs which are pretreated with water-proofing compounds such as creosote, or the like, to render the same resistant to rotting over relatively substantial periods of time. Such panels are installed along the sides of a hole dug in the ground to form the pool, the bottom of the pool being suitably treated and constructed with sand and the like prior to the plastic lining being installed. Earth fill then is placed behind the panels, whereby the panels readily withstand water pressure when the pool is filled.

In the pools of the foregoing type which employ pliable plastic lining sheets, such as those formed from various vinyl compounds and the like, the upper edge of such lining usually is suitably secured to a header extending along the upper edge of the panels defining the side walls of the pool. One form of finishing such upper edges of the side walls has been to employ longitudinally extending wooden planks overlying the upper edges of the plastic sheet liner and fastened to the header of the side panels. However, wooden planks of this type, which have been used to somewhat serve as a coping, are subject to hazards of Weather conditions such as warping, splintering, and rotting, particularly if constant care is omitted such as frequently painting such planks which must be done at times when the pool is not in use and adequate time must be allowed for the paint to dry.

Other types of previously used copings are durable, such as those formed from poured concrete or those in which ceramic tile have been employed but the cost of this type of coping prohibits the use thereof in relatively inexpensive, domestic type pools. Furthermore, while coping formed from such materials is relatively durable as far as being affected by weather conditions is concerned, nevertheless, cement copings are frequently inclined to be rough and can cause skin abrasions, and cement copings as well as those employing ceramic tile likewise are subject to cracking and other forms of disintegration caused by weather conditions, especially between seasons, as well as sudden blows such as by hard running of swimmers along the coping, particularly if the sub-surface below the coping has shifted in any way.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a swimming pool structure with improved coping means therefor, said coping being very quickly installed, highly resistant to all types of weather conditions without cracking or disintegration or requiring frequent attention to maintain the same water-proof, and said coping being smooth and comfortable when engaged by the hands and limbs of swimmers without danger of injury to the skin through abrasion or otherwise.

Another object of the swimming pool and coping structure comprising the present invention is to provide not only aesthetically pleasing coping around the upper rim of the sides of the pool, but also to provide a rounded configuration on the edge of the coping nearest the pool which constitutes means which may comfortably and readily be engaged by the hands of swimmers, especially to aid in pulling themselves from the pool.

A further object of the invention is to form such coping preferably by extruding non-corrosive metal such as suitable aluminum alloys and also form thereon integral means coengageable with other securing means attached to the header of side wall panels of such swimming pool, the attachment of said connecting means preferably occurring by snap-action and requiring few tools to achieve.

Still another object of the invention is to shape the extruded sections, which principally comprise strips about 6" wide, for example, with smoothly curved side edges which extend downwardly in use and thereby form bracing flanges.

A still further object of the invention is to employ preferably extruded plastic strips having undercut grooves therein and attached to the header of the side walls of a swimming pool, and ribs with enlarged beaded edges thereon projecting from the undersurface of said coping sections are received within said grooves with a snap-fit to permanently secure said sections to the perimeter of a pool but capable of being removed therefrom if desired, one of said grooved strips also having another groove therein opening forwardly toward the pool and terminating in a constricted slot which receives the beaded edge of a strip which extends through said slot and is attached to the upper edge of the sheet plastic pool liner to support the same in operative position.

Details of the foregoing objects and of the invention, as well as other objects thereof, are described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings comprising a part thereof.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a foreshortened plan view of. an exemplary swimming pool broken away in the center and showing exemplary sections of coping embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2,is an enlarged, fragmentary vertical section of the upper portion of one side wall of the swimming pool shown in FIGv 1 and illustrating details of the coping sections, means by which they are connected to the header of the side panels of the swimming pool, and additional means by which the upper edges of the swimming pool lining are secured in operative position.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of one side and a portion of the bottom of the pool illustrated in FIG. 1, said view being foreshortened vertically, and showing on a smaller scale than in FIG. 2 the coping structure to afford a proportional view of the entire side wall arrangement.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the upper left corner portion of the arrangement shown in FIG. 2, but employing a larger scale, and showing part of the connecting means for the coping incident to being snapped into final position and also illustrating details of the means by which the upper edge of the flexible plastic lining for the sides of the pool are maintained in operative position by the coping structure comprising the present invention.

Referring to the various figures, the swimming pool illustrated in various fragmentary portions in the drawing is formed by digging a suitable, usually rectangular, hole in the ground, shaping the floor to have the desired contour, arranging the sides of the hole as nearly vertical as possible and then install a series of vertically disposed fabricated side panels which, in the preferred construction thereof, comprise a header 12 which, for example, may be a 2 x 6 wooden plank, which is nailed suitably by spikes 14, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, to the upper ends of vertical studs 16 which, for example, may comprise 2 x 4 planks. The outer face of such panel comprises a sheet of plywood 18 which may be either /2" or in thickness and are suitably nailed to the header 12, struts 14, as well as to a horizontal footer 20, which also may comprise a 2 x 4 plank.

The fabricated panels thus described then are suitably treated with rot-inhibiting compounds of various types in order that when such panels are disposed within the ground adjacent the earth walls of the prepared hole, and earth is filled in behind the panels, said panels may remain in the ground for a substantial number of years without appreciable deterioration.

In order to render the sidewalls as well as the bottom of such a pool water-proof, however, and thereby prevent the waste leakage of water from the pool, one highly effective and relatively inexpensive means for rendering the pool waterproof is to utilize a lining of sheet plastic material, such as suitable vinyl compounds, polyethylene, or the like, of reasonably heavy gauge so as readily to resist deterioration from weather and long use over substantial periods of time which, at minimum, usually are at least five years. In the drawing, such exemplary lining sheet 22 of appropriate plastic is shown particularly in FIGS. 2-4 as extending vertically upward along the plywood facing sheets 13 of the panels 10, terminating adjacent the upper edges thereof.

Various means have been used heretofore to secure such sheet plastic lining members in operative position but the present invention provides a highly elfective, though simple and inexpensive construction for achieving this and, simultaneously, also to effectively secure in operative position a novel coping arrangement, details of which will now be described.

In accordance with the principles of the present inven tion, it is one of the major objectives to provide a coping which is highly weather-resistant as well as not being sub-. ject to impairment due to extensive changes in temperature and is provided with smooth surfaces and edges so as not to afford injury to swimmers when contacting the coping. Still further, the coping is strong and durable, light in weight so as to minimize shipping costs and the construction thereof is such as to render relatively long sections thereof rigid and shape-retaining. These various objectives are brought into reality by providing coping sections 24 which, preferably, are formed by extrusion of suitable aluminum alloys or other corrosion-resisting material.

As seen in exemplary manner from FIG. 1, the extruded coping sections 24 may be of lengths, for example, of the order of 8, 10 and 12, more or less, as desired. One highly satisfactory form of such coping section comprises an appropriate aluminum alloy which is extruded to a thickness of approximately and approximately 6" wide, these dimensions being exemplary only. The rearward edge 26 of the sections are gently curved downwardly, when placed in use, and the forward edge 28, which is nearest the pool, is shaped to afford a slightly upwardly rising and then downwardly curved configuration affording a suitable handgrip for swimmers. Said forward edge terminatesdownwardly in overlapping relationship with the upper edge of the plastic lining sheet 22, as is clearly shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

The upper surface of the coping sections 24 shown in the figures comprise the exterior surface thereof and the opposite, inner surface of said coping sections is provided with, preferably, a pair of ribs 30 and 32 which are formed integrally with the strips comprising the sections 24. The rib 32, which is nearest the pool, preferably is'a little longer than the rib 30 and both of said ribs terminate respectively in elongated beaded edges 34 and 36 which comprise part of means by which the coping sections are secured to the header 12 of the side walls of the swim-- ming pool.

Other parts of the securing means comprise elongated members 36 and 38 which,'in the preferred construction thereof, are formed by extrusion from suitable relatively rigid, but at least slightly resilient, synthetic resin or plastic material, certain polyvinyl resins being highly suited for, this purpose. The members 36 and 38 are preferably substantially continuous, but, within reason, this is intended to mean that they may be provided in relatively long strips of the order of 10 or 12 in length. The members 36 and 38 are both provided with attaching flanges 40 which receive suitable nails or screws 42 therethrough which extend into the headerv 12 and effectively secure the members 36 and 38 in place. Such nails or screws need only be placed about 1 apart to be effective.

Elongated members 36 and 38 are each provided with similar, undercut, longitudinally extending grooves 44 and 46'which extend downwardly from the upper surfaces of the members and are complementary to the beaded extremities 34 of the ribs 30 and 32. By simply laying the coping sections upon the members 36 and 38 with the beads 34 of the ribs thereof directly over the open slots of the grooves, and then tapping the upper surface of the coping sections 24 with a mallet or the like, a snap-acting connection is effected between the enlarged beaded edges 34 of the ribs and the undercut grooves 44 and 46 of the elongated members 36 and-38. When the coping sections are so connected to the header 12, the lower, terminal edge of the forward, curved edge 28 of-the coping will extend below the upper edge of the liner sheet 22, as clearly shown in FIG. 2.

In order that such connection of the coping sections to the elongated members 36 and 38 may take place accurately, it is essential that the elongated members be spaced transversely apart an even, accurate distance. One convenient manner of achieving this is to connect, for example, the member 38 to the header 12 before the member 36 is connected. This can be done quite easily because the outer edge of the member 38 is substantially flush with the outer surface of the plywood panel sheet 18 of each of the side panels 10. Then, by utilizing a short length of one of the coping section 24, of the order of several inches, the beaded edge 34 of the rib 32 thereof may be slid lengthwise within the groove 46 of member 38 while the corresponding beaded edge 34 of the rib is slid within the groove 44 of the member 36. Upon securing one end of the strip 36 to the header 12, the piece of coping so moved with respect to the members 36 and 38 is stopped about every foot or so while another screw or nail is driven through the attaching flange of strip 36 into header 12, and so on until the entire strip is secured to the header, after which the short piece of coping is snapped from the grooves 44 and 46 so that the main coping sections may be connected to the header 12.

By referring to the enlarged fragmentary sectional view illustrated in FIG. 4, it will be seen that the elongated member 38 not only provides means for connecting one edge of the coping sections 34 to the header 12, but said member also serves an additional function, the same being that of securing the upper edge of the lining sheet 32 in operative position adjacent the upper edge of the outermost plywood panels 18 of the side panels 10. This is accomplished by simple, inexpensive but highly effective means comprising forming a constricted, longitudinally extending slot 48 which preferably extends inwardly from the outer face of member 38, the constricted, elongated mouth thereof being formed by a rib 50 which preferably extends upwardly from the lower wall of the slot 48, as clearly shown in FIG. 4.

A flexible locking strip 52, preferably formed from synthetic resin or plastic material similar to that from which the plastic lining sheet 22 is formed, is provided along one edge with a relatively thick enlargement 54 which functions somewhat as a large, elongated beading. Said enlargement is preferably as thick vertically as the slot 48 and the surface 56 thereof is undercut inwardly and upwardly so as to form a relatively sharp lower corner which directly abuts the root of the rib 50 for sure and firm engagement therewith to prevent removal of the enlargement 58 from the slot 48. The locking strip 52 also is provided with an elongated, ribbon-like marginal projection 58 which extends preferably from the upper portion of the enlargement 54, laterally outward through the constricted slot defined by rib 50, and then extends downwardly so as to be disposed firmly against the outer surface of the upper edge of the plywood panel 18. The marginal projection 58 preferably is of sufficient length, of the order of between /2" and /4", for example, to provide adequate area against which the upper edge of the side wall plastic lining sheet 22 may be secured firmly by appropriate cement.

In view of the particular shape of the enlargement 54 of locking strip 52, and especially the undercut surface 56 thereof, as well as the engagement of the latter against the root portion of the inner surface of rib 50, coupled with the fact that the marginal projection 58 extends downward from the upper portion of enlargement 54, the weight of the lining sheet 22 which is securely attached to the marginal projection 58 before the coping sections 24 are mounted in final position, it will be seen that there is a tendency to twist the enlargement 54 about its longitudinal axis within the groove 48. However, because of the definite, somewhat rectangular cross-sectional shape of the enlargement 54, such twisting is prevented but, nevertheless, such action tends to force the sharp lower left corner of the enlargement 54, as viewed in FIG. 4, firmly and fixedly against the root portion of the inner surface of the rib 50, thereby insuring firm anchorage of the locking strip 52 within the slot 48 over long periods of time.

In view of the foregoing, it will be seen that the present invention provides long-lasting, relatively simple, and easily assembled means for attaching a very effective and esthetically appealing coping, comprising long extruded sections formed preferably from corrosion-resistant material and provided with snap-acting type securing means which engage other members comprising part of the securing means that are attached to the header of the wall panels of a swimming pool. The latter preferably comprise a pair of extruded plastic members which readily are secured permanently to said header by simple means such as nails or screws. One of said members also has a dual function in that it additionally serves to secure the upper edge of the plastic lining sheet material in operative position adjacent the top of the side panels of the swimming pool by employing a relatively inexpensive, preferably plastic locking strip which is cemented to the upper edge of said lining sheet. All of said mechanism is capable of serving satisfactorily over many years of use and readily withstands all kinds of temperature and weather conditions without appreciable deterioration.

While the invention has been described and illustrated in its several preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the precise details herein illustrated and described since the same may be carried out in other ways falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. Coping means for an outdoor swimming pool having side walls terminating in an upper edge having a wooden rectangular header plank supported horizontally and extending longitudinally therealong and lined with flexible sheet plastic material covering said side walls to render the same waterproof, said coping means comprising in combination, elongated uniformly shaped sections of rigid material of relative uniform thickness arranged in end-to-end abutting relationship and having an upper surface which is exterior in use and an opposite inner surface adapted to be positioned in overlying relationship with said header in use, the intermediate portion of said coping being substantially flat and the opposite edges being curved downwardly below said intermediate portion, one of said edges extending below said intermediate portion a greater extent than the other, and said edges being adapted to be engageable respectively with the upper surface of said header and overlying the upper edge of the side wall of said pool, a pair of parallel rib means depending substantially perpendicularly from said inner surface of said intermediate portion of said coping sections in transversely spaced relationship to each other and to the opposite edges of said coping means, securing means adapted to be connected to the upper surface of said header, and snap-acting fastening means comprising two interengaged members extending longitudinally and being respectively connected to said securing means and the terminal edges of said rib means and spaced from said intermediate portion of said coping, whereby in use the inner surface of said coping is spaced above said header, one of said interengaged members being headed and the other having a longitudinally extending undercut recess and one of said interengaged members being yieldable to permit locking reception of said headed interengaged member within said recess.

2. The coping means according to claim 1 in which said rib means extend along said coping sections substantially continuously and said securing means and snapacting fastening means also being similarly substantially continuous for complementary co-action with said rib means, said undercut recess of said fastening means comprising a groove.

3. The coping means according to claim 1 in which said coping sections comprise extruded lengths formed from non-corrosive rigid metal and said securing means comprise extruded lengths of relatively rigid synthetic resin having limited yieldability, said undercut recess being formed in said securing means to facilitate the functioning of said snap-acting fastening means.

4. The coping means according to claim 1 in which the rib nearest said edge of said coping section which engages said header depends from the inner surface of said intermediate portion a shorter distance than the other rib to render the coping section slanting downward and rearward from the side wall of said pool when in use, and said securing means similarly comprising a pair of members spaced complementarily to said ribs, each of said pairs of ribs and securing members respectively having similar snap-acting fastening means thereon.

5. The coping means according to claim 4 in which said opposite edges of said sections thereof are smoothly curved downwardly in use sufficiently to permit said edges to serve as bracing flanges for said strips.

6. The coping means according to claim 1 in which said securing means comprises one elongated member connectible to said header of a swimming pool adjacent the edge thereof nearest the side of said pool, said member having a groove extending thereinto from the outer side edge thereof and provided with a constricted longi' tudinally extending opening comprising a slot, and a flexible elongated locking strip having one enlarged edgesub- References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,772,417 8/1930 Ellinwood 52461 2,855,776 10/1958 Trostle 52-300 X 3,114,244 12/1963 Silver 52395 X 3,177,501 4/1965 Kwake 4172 3,256,532 6/1966 Lindsey et a1. 4-172 3,298,039 1/1967 Schmerler 4-l72 FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

ALFRED C. PERHAM, Examiner. 

1. COPING MEANS FOR AN OUTDOOR SWIMMING POOL HAVING SIDE WALLS TERMINATING IN AN UPPER EDGE HAVING A WOODEN RECTANGULAR HEADER PLANK SUPPORTED HORIZONTALLY AND EX TENDING LONGITUDINALLY THEREALONG AND LINED WITH FLEXIBLE SHEET PLASTIC MATERIAL COVERING SAID SIDE WALLS TO RENDER THE SAME WATERPROOF, SAID COPING MEANS COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, ELONGATED UNIFORMLY SHAPED SECTIONS OF RIGID MATERIAL OF RELATIVE UNIFORM THICKNESS ARRANGED IN END-TO-END ABUTTING RELATIONSHIP AND HAVING AN UPPER SURFACE WHICH IS EXTERIOR IN USE AND AN OPPOSITE INNER SURFACE ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED IN OVERLYING RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID HEADER IN USE, THE INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF SAID COPING BEING SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT AND THE OPPOSITE EDGES BEING CURVED DOWNWARDLY BELOW SAID INTERMEDIATE PORTION ONE OF SAID EDGES EXTENDING BELOW SAID INTERMEDIATE PORTION A GREATER EXTENT THAN THE OTHER, AND SAID EDGES BEING ADAPTED TO BE ENGAGEABLE RESPECTIVELY WITH THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID HEADER AND OVERLYING THE UPPER EDGE OF THE SIDE WALL OF SAID POOL, A PAIR OF PARALLEL RIB MEANS DEPENDING SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULARLY FROM SAID INNER SURFACE OF SAID INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF SAID COPING SECTIONS IN TRANSVERSELY SPACED RELATIONSHIP TO EACH OTHER AND TO THE OPPOSITE EDGES OF SAID COPING MEANS, SECURING MEANS ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID HEADER, AND SNAP-ACTING FASTENING MEANS COMPRISING TWO INTERENGAGED MEMBERS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY AND BEING RESPECTIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID SECURING MEANS AND THE TERMINAL EDGES OF SAID RIB MEANS AND SPACED FROM SAID INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF SAID COPING, WHEREBY IN THE USE THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID COPING IS SPACED ABOVE SAID HEADER, ONE OF SAID INTERENGAGED MEMBERS BEING HEADED AND THE OTHER HAVING A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING UNDERCUT RECESS AND ONE OF SAID INTERENGAGED MEMBERS BEING YIELDABLE TO PERMIT LOCKING RECEPTION OF SAID HEADED INTERENGAGED MEMBER WITHIN SAID RECESS. 